At Front Row CRM we believe in the sales rep and built a CRM from the ground up as a mobile system. This allows the sales rep to complete and submit sales reports in less than 60 seconds from any mobile device, leaving more time for selling. We have added features to help the sales reps be more productive and improve compliance, including data and information retrieval, note review, location and directional maps, contact information, camera integration, sync with Outlook or Google PIM and more.

Friday, January 31, 2014

The 6 Key Questions that Will Clinch Every Sale (And How to Ask Them)

How are you? How are you doing? How’s it going? We ask questions
all the time. And the next time you’re in front of a potential client
should be no different, but knowing which questions to ask may be the
making or breaking point of that sale.

Why ask questions?

Any experienced salesperson will be able to tell you that no two
buyers are the same. What’s more, it’s dangerous to make assumptions.
Asking questions can give you the clearest picture of your buyers’ needs
and requirements and should influence the way you then go about selling
to them.

Picture the scene: You’re in the market for a new tennis racket. The
man in the tennis shop is promoting a great racket that is 50% off.
However, budget isn’t an issue for you. You just want the best racket.
Consequently, you leave without buying because the salesperson hasn’t
managed to identify your particular need. In other words, he hasn’t
asked the right questions.

Which questions should you ask?

Among the myriad of questions that you could ask your potential
buyer, six key questions stand head and shoulders above all others and
have the key words: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?

1. Who?

Unless you know who is going to use your product or service, and who
the decision makers are, you are unlikely to have a successful selling
experience.

Ensuring that you are in front of the decision maker is the only
chance you have of making a sale. Furthermore, knowing who will be
using your product or service will mean you can tailor everything you
say about your product to that particular audience.

2. What?

Most products or services have many features, but you may only have a
few minutes with your potential clients so you won’t be able to promote
all of them. You need to identify what is most important to your
customers in order to demonstrate that your product or service meets
their needs.

3. Where?

It’s important to find out precisely where your product or service
will actually be used. For example, if it is to be solely internal, or
even just the US, then that will affect how you make your pitch.
Conversely, if it is to have worldwide exposure, you will need to
demonstrate that your product is up to the job.

4. When?

It's essential to establish exactly when a potential client needs
your service. If a client is keen to purchase there and then, then your
pitch can be made timely. If the potential client will not be ready to
buy until much later, there is little point in pushing hard for an
immediate sale. In that case, booking a date for a later appointment
will be more beneficial.

5. Why?

Understanding why your potential clients require your product or
services will give you a valuable insight into their motivations and the
value they ascribe to what you are offering. If your product will
solve a major problem for them, or enable them to make a great deal of
money, you can hold a firmer position when negotiating. If it is of
less importance, or many of your competitors can also meet their needs,
then you will have to work harder to obtain the deal.

6. How?

How often a potential client will use your product or service is also
relevant, as is the number of people who will use it. Knowing this
helps you to price appropriately. For example, it may be more expensive
for you to deliver once every five years than monthly.

Similarly, consider how much volume is being discussed. If your
product is used by one person every five years, that is very different
from 1,000 people every month. More volume may mean you can charge less
per unit.

Of course, each sale is different and you may not need to use all of
these questions for every sale, but it is a wise salesperson who knows
which questions to ask at any point.

How to ask questions

It’s understandable that people sometimes feel suspicious or
defensive when asked questions, so it’s important to put your potential
client at ease. One way of doing this is to use what NLP calls,
"framing."
All words carry meanings, both implicit and explicit. Implicit
meanings are hugely important when you are attempting to persuade (i.e.
sell).

When a manager asked his team, "How can we increase productivity?" he
received no response. However, when he asked, "How can we make your
jobs easier?" he was inundated with replies. The phrase "increasing
productivity" implies that a person works harder to produce more for
his/her company, but "making a job easier" implies that the employees
themselves will immediately benefit (and, as a result, productivity will
increase).

Framing questions by carefully choosing your words will help put your
clients at ease and create an atmosphere where they can be honest about
what they want and need.

Furthermore, questions put you firmly in control of the situation.
You can decide exactly what you would like your potential client to
focus on by framing your questions so that this becomes the most likely
result.
Asking questions is a vital part of any sales process. Asking
specific questions will not only allow you to discover the information
you need, but, more importantly, it will enable you to pitch with
accuracy. You’ll make that successful sale because you’ll know exactly
what your client wants. In the words of Lou Holtz, American football
coach, “I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask
questions.”

About Front Row CRM

Front Row Solutions is an innovative CRM sales tool that utilizes sales reporting applications and maps to increase productivity and revenue. Sales will see an immediate benefit in commissions and ease of use. Managers see real time reports, statistics and activity that is meaningful. www.FrontRow-Solutions.com